EU ministers support restrictions on pesticides 

Pesticides are considered essential to protect crops from insects, rodents and fungi. But they can also accumulate in the environment and cause risks to human health when they end up in drinking water. Potential health risks include cancers, genetic disturbances and damage to the immune system.

The thematic strategy proposes banning aerial spraying except for strictly defined cases, national action plans, certification and control of equipment, training for professional users and protection of the aquatic environment.

The Environment Council conclusions, adopted 20 February 2007, called for:

• specific measures to protect surface water and groundwater to reduce the risk of pesticides to the aquatic environment; 
• greater coherence between the water framework Directive (WFD) and the proposed legislation on pesticides;
• the use of voluntary as well as mandatory measures to reduce the administrative burden;
• widenening the strategy to cover biocides;
• the development of integrated pest management methods and procedures,
• more Community funding to support the sustainable use of pesticides, and;
• continued action to protect developing countries from the risks of pesticides.

Reacting to the Council meeting, the Commission said it regretted that the legislative proposal had been shifted to the Agriculture Council. "Discussions...are now handled by the Agricultural Council although they are clearly related to environmental issues," said Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas. The Commission said it was also disappointed that member states did not follow its invitation to apply a harmonised VAT rates to pesticides.

Commissioner Dimas called for the proposals to be presented to both the Environment and Agriculture Councils meetings in June "to ensure consistency between the legislative proposals of the Thematic Strategy and existing environmental legislation, in particular regarding water, waste, birds and habitat".

The European Crop Protection Association (ECPA), has expressed concern that the proposal "introduces unnecessary new hurdles for the authorisation of pesticides" and stifles innovation in the area.

Environmental groups have also criticised the initiative "The Commission's strategy is a visionless patchwork. It lacks enforceable targets or market-based instruments, like a pesticides tax, to achieve its ends", said John Hontelez, Secretary General of the European Environmental Bureau (EEB).